Card index case



Feb. 15, 1966 R. H. cooK 3,234,673

CARD INDEX CASE Filed June 1, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 15, 1966 R. H. COOK 3,234,673

CARD INDEX CASE Filed June 1, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROBERT H. COOK ATTORNEY Feb. 15, 1966 R. H. cooK 3,234,673

CARD INDEX CASE Filed June 1, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 zjg'l 3/5 30 Z5 ge INVENTOR ROBERT H- COOK ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,234,573 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,234,673 CARD INDEX CASE Robert H. Cook, 339 S. Maryland, Mason City, Iowa Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,580 11 Claims. (CI. 4010) This invention relates to a case for containing a pack of resilient cards which cards may either contain or be adapted to receive indicia, the case being arranged to permit manual manipulation by the fingers of the user in such a manner that cards may be moved from the top to the bottom of the pack by finger manipulation alone, without the expedient of movable mechanical devices for aiding transfer of the cards. The invention further relates to a novel combination of a case and a plurality of resilient cards. It is a discovery of this invention that a card case with suitable interior contours may utilize the resiliency of the cards to cause them to release stored potential energy in continuing and completing movement of the cards to the bottom of the pack, said movement having been initiated by manual manipulation of the operator in moving the cards through a portion of their travel. This application is a continuation-in-part of an application filed by me on February 6, 1963, Serial No. 256,594, now abandoned.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a compact, easily carried and unobtrusive case for containing a pack of resilient cards which contain in appropriate sequence indicia or text material to be observed seriatim by the user and then shifted to the bottom of the pack to expose the next card in sequence.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a card case having a contoured interior arranged to store potential energy in resilient cards as they are moved from the top to the bottom of the pack and to guide such cards into a position wherein the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy to complete the transfer of the cards from top to bottom of the pack and to drive the cards home in their proper position at the bottom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination of a card case and resilient cards, the cards being selected to have the property of storing potential energy as they are stressed during a portion of their movement from top to bottom, said energy being sufiicient automatically to complete transfer of the cards after a portion of the transfer has been initiated by manual manipulation.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out and will become apparent from the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying d-rawings. The drawings represent two illustrative embodiments of the invention and are intended for purposes of disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a case for resilient cards constructed in accordance with the present invention and having one portion broken away to illustrate an interior detail. FIG. 1 also illustrates by means of a dotted line an alternative embodiment useful as a programmed teaching machine;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on the plane of line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the card case of this invention in open position;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are longitudinal sectional views corresponding to FIG. 2 and showing sequential positions of a resilient card moving from top to bottom of the case under manual manipulation from the fingers of a user and continuing said movement through the release of potential energy stored in a card;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane of line 99 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing transverse bowing action of the top card in a pack as it is manipulated into position for transfer to the bottom of the pack;

FIG. 10 is an obverse face view in reduced size of a printed resilient card suitable for use with the case; and

FIG. 11 is a reverse view in reduced size of the same card looking at the card of FIG. 10 from its backside and showing the orientation of printing thereon for continuous sequential operation of the pack of cards through a plurality of cycles.

Referring now to details of the drawings, the case 20 may be made of any desired material such as wood, metal or plastic. The case illustrated for purposes of disclosure in this application is molded from a polystyrene plastic resin and such a case ofiers the advantages of being light in weight, easily molded in large quantities at low cost, and having suitable rigidity and impact strength.

The case illustrated is molded to have a top portion 21 and a bottom portion 22 divided substantially medially for separation to insert a pack of cards. The junction between the top portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 contains a step 23 to ensure proper orientation of the top and bottom portions of the case when they are assembled. If desired, the top and bottom portions of the case may be united by heat or adhesion along the junction after insertion of a pack of cards or alternatively, the top and bottom portions of the case may be provided with suitable latches if it is contemplated that the case will be used with interchangeable packs of cards. The details of such latching means forms no part of the present invention and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The bottom portion 22 of the case comprises a bottom wall 25, upstanding side walls 26 and 27 and upstanding end walls 28 and 29, the side and end walls being joined unitarily at their respective junctions to form a perimeter completely around bottom wall 25. The bottom portion 22 of the case includes an opening 30 in the bottom wall 25, the function of which will be discussed later.

As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the bottom portion of the case includes laterally spaced, raised longitudinal ribs 31 upon which a pack of cards rests as shown in FIGS. 6 through 9. The ribs 31 continue upwardly on the forward end wall 29 as at 31A and may project upwardly a distance beyond the uppermost portion of end wall 29. It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the contour formed by ribs 31 and 31A provide a curvilinear surface which is generally cylindrical at the forward end of the case nearest end wall 29 and tapers into a flared curvilinear section 31B in a direction away from end wall 29. It will also be noted that the ribs 31 and 31A are contoured to provide a depressed portion 33 adjacent the forward end of the case, said depressed portion having a lower elevation in the case than the tops 34 of the ribs throughout the major portion thereof.

The bottom portion of the case also includes a lug or card stop 32 formed integral with side wall 26. The lug 32 projects upwardly above side wall 26 and terminates at a point above bottom wall 25 as best seen in FIG. 5. The dimensions of lug 32 relative to a pack of cards will be discussed subsequently in greater detail.

The top portion 21 of the case comprises a contoured top wall 35, side walls 36 and 37 and end walls 38 and 39. A substantial portion of top wall 35 is eliminated to form a large opening 40 in the top portion 21 of the case and it is to be noted in FIG. 1 that the forward margin 41 of this opening 40 has a V-shape in the horizontal plane providing an open portion at the apex of the V extending forwardly of the case to the vicinity of lug 32. As is apparent in FIG. 9, the V-shaped forward portion 41 of Opening 40 has an inverted V-shape in the vertical plane.

The top portion 21 of the case 20 contains ribs 42 having a generally cylindrical curved surface adapted to mate with the curved surface of ribs 31 and 31A in the bottom portion of the case. As is apparent in FIGS. 3 and 4 the upstanding portions of the ribs 31A in the bottom portion of the case extend above the lowermost portion of ribs 42 when the case is assembled so that there is no horizontal seam or line in the smooth contour of the curved ribs. The ribs 42 are contoured to provide a curved entering section 43.

The operation of the case in combination with a pack of resilient cards is best understood by reference to- FIGS. 6 through 9, inclusive. In FIG. 6, for example, it is apparent that a deck of cards 45 may be disposed within the case to rest upon the upper surfaces 34 of ribs 31 and when so disposed the forward edges of all but the topmost cards are restrained from forward movement by lug 32. The exact number of cards so restrained is not critical, but improved performance is obtained if at least the bottom half of the pack is restrained, particularly if the case is tipped forwardly by the operator. As is apparent in FIG. 6, the preferred length for each of the cards in the deck is substantially co-extensive with the distance from end walls 28 and 38 at the left-hand ex tremity of the case to the restraining surface 46 of lug 32. The top of lug 32 is of a height sufiicient to restrain all but the topmost cards in the pack and transfer of the top card in the pack to the bottom is initiated, as shown in FIG. 6, by applying pressure from a finger or thumb of the operator to the topmost card through opening 40 in the top of the case. It will be understood that other operating devices may be used, such as a pencil eraser or a slide device oscillatable across the top of the case. As pressure is applied, force is simultaneously exerted forwardly in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 6, forcing the topmost card to flex around the curved surface formed by interleaved rib portions 31A and 42. As this forward movement of the card continues to the dotted line position indicated in FIG, 7, the top card will assume a bowed position as illustrated in FIG. 9. This bowing will be found to occur inherently with many card materials, but is enhanced in the present embodiment by the V configuration 41 at the forward portion of opening 40. As a result of the bowing, the medial portion of the trailing edge of the top card rises above the surface of the next card in the deck so that the operators finger may be used to engage the now bowed trailing edge of the card to continue forward motion of the card to the full line position shown in FIG. 7. As the card is forced around the curved rib surfaces at the forward portion of the case, energy is stored in the card as a result of the stress applied thereto in negotiating the curvilinear arc, and as a result of the bowing action previously mentioned. It will be observed in FIG. 7 that the leading edge of the card passes under the lower extremity of lug 32, thence into the depressed portion 33 of the ribs 31 and under the leading edge of the lowermost card in the deck, it being apparent in FIG. 7 that depressed portion 33 is disposed so that the forward portion of the cards in the pack overlie the depressed portions of the ribs. It will also be observed in FIG. 7 that the flared curvilinear portion 31B of ribs 31 is disposed and contoured to aid in guiding the leading edge of a card being shuffled into position at the bottom of the pack Without engagement with the leading edges of the cards in the pack. The position of lug 32 provides a clear space for card transfer by restraining the card pack from entering the area immediately adjacent the curved surface. It will also be apparent in FIG. 7 that the linear length of the curved portions of the ribs is less than the length of the cards, so that the trailing portion of a card being shuffled remains stressed after the lead portion has returned to a substantially flat position at the bottom of the pack. This condition directs the release of potential energy stored in a card into kinetic energy acting in the direction of card transfer, so that the card becomes self-energizing to complete its transfer at the bottom of the pack after movement by operator manipulation ceases. Accordingly, when the card has been moved to the vicinity of the full line position of FIG. 7, the potential energy stored therein by virtue of the strain exerted on the card in its crimped position becomes kinetic, and the card will continue to move under the impetus of this kinetic energy as shown in FIG. 8, until the card has reached a stationary position at the bottom of the deck as shown in FIG. 6. This self-propelling motion by the card will normally be accompanied by an appreciable snap as the potential energy stored in the card is released and it is driven home at the bottom of the pack. This operation may be continued seriatim with each card in the deck until each of them has been moved from the top of the deck to the bottom and, if the cards are supplied with indicia in the reverse manner illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the same sequence of indicia will appear in an upright position visible to the operator through opening 40 in a repeating cycle. If desired a complete cycle of indicia may be double the number of cards in the deck if the information printed on the reverse side does not duplicate that contained on the obverse side.

An alternative embodiment is illustrated by the dotted line 48 in FIG. 1 in which the top of the case is provided with a smaller opening terminating at dotted line 48, with the result that the lower portions of each card in the deck are concealed prior to the initiation of forward motion by the operator. This embodiment will be found to be very advantageous in programmed learning applications or teaching machines in which, for example, a question can be provided on the upper portion of each card and the answer thereto provided on the lower portion. The operator can then read the question while the answer remains covered and then, subsequently, read the answer as the card is moved forwardly from beneath the covered portion of opening 40.

For purposes of disclosure, a case utilizing ribs as a surface upon which cards travel in their movement from top to bottom has been illustrated. This construction offers the advantage of providing a minimum surface contact between the cards and the case as they are shufiled and thereby reduces friction, but it is to be understood that a case having a continuous planar surface around which cards are shuflied is also operative and is within the scope of the invention. Further, a case has been illustrated in which cards are shuffled in a forward motion but it is to be understood that cases are contemplated in which the cards are shuffied by a rearward motion or by a sideward motion, in which event the curved surface around which the cards are shufiied would be disposed at one of the sides of the case or at the other end thereof. Similarly, a short lug 32 has been illustrated as an arresting device for restraining all but the top feW cards in the pack, but it is contemplated that this arresting means may take the form of a bar extending entirely across the portion of the case around which the cards are shufiied. For simplicity in describing and claiming the invention, the movement of cards has been designated as top to bottom, but it will be apparent that movement from bottom to top is feasible and is intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Opening 30 in the bottom of the case is provided as a safety measure in the event that a card should momentarily jam, or should for other reasons such as fatigue or insulficient resiliency, fail to move into position at the bottom of the pack. By inserting a finger or other device such as a pencil eraser through opening 30, the operator can rapidly oscillate the entire deck to release a partially shufiled card, or may exert pressure upon such a card to pull it into position at the bottom of the deck.

The cards for use in the case may be of thin sheets of spring metal or other materials such as plastic, or laminates of various materials having relatively high resilience accompanied by a relatively high elastic limit. Materials of many different compositions will be found to be suitable and as a basis for selection the most desirable will be those which will stand repeated flexing about a radius approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the card case without exceeding the elastic limit of the material so that the card, when so flexed, will not take a permanent set. The most desirable materials will also exhibit the property, when flexed as aforementioned, of snapping back rapidly and usually audibly to a flat condition.

As an example of plastic materials which have been found to be suitable, the so-called rigid vinyls comprising unplasticized copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate operate satisfactorily. Two such materials are the rigid vinyl copolymer sheets manufactured by the Siberling Rubber Company, Newcomerstown, Ohio, under the trade name Seilon VHI and sheets manufactured by Nixon-Baldwin Chemicals Inc. of Nixon, New Jersey, and sold under the designation VLH 5099. The published properties of these materials are as follows:

In utilizing plastic sheets the selection should be made from plastics which will not block and which possess good slip properties. Such properties will be enhanced by calendering the surface of the plastic to a matte or pebble finish or by providing a coating on the surface having a pebble finish and containing slip agents wellknown to the art.

The card case of this invention will be found to be particularly useful in sizes that will conveniently fit the pocket or purse of a user, but is not limited to any particular size and large models suitable for wall or easel mounting, for example, are contemplated.

While specific illustrations and examples have been given for purposes of disclosure it is to be understood that the scope of this invention is limited not by the preceding description but rather by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a pack of resilient cards, a card holder comprising; a case for the cards having a window for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack and beginning adjacent one portion of the window, said curved portion being constructed and arranged to stress the cards as they are advanced thereover through manipulation by an operator and to provide continued stress for the trailing portion of a card when the leading portion of the card has straightened after leaving the curved portion, whereby the card will snap into position at the bottom of the pack through the release of energy stored therein.

2. For use with a pack of resilient cards, a card holder comprising; a case for the cards having a window for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation -by an operator, said case having means restraining movement of all but the topmost cards in the pack and a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack and beginning adjacent one portion of the Window, said curved portion being constructed and arranged to stress the top card as it is advanced thereover through manipulation by an operator and to provide continued stress for the trailing portion of such card when the leading portion of the card has straightened after leaving the curved portion, whereby the card will snap into position at the bottom of the pack through the release of energy stored therein.

3. For use with a pack of resilient cards, a card holder comprising; a case for the cards having a window for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack, said curved portion being contoured to terminate beneath the lowermost card in the pack to direct the leading edge of a card traversing said curved portion to a position beneath said lowermost card.

4. For use with a pack of cards, a card case including -a top and a bottom and comprising; a window in the top of the case for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack, said curved portion being contoured to terminate beneath the lowermost card in the pack to direct the leading edge of a card traversing said curved portion to a position beneath said lowermost card, and an opening in the bottom of the case through which a portion of a card is accessible after traversing the aforesaid curved portion of the case for manipulation by an operator to complete movement of the card to a position at the bottom of the pack.

5. For use with a pack of cards, a card case comprising; a window in the top of the case for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack, said curved portion being contoured to have a relatively short entering radius and a larger terminal radius terminating beneath the lowermost card in the pack to direct the leading edge of a card traversing said curved portion to a position beneath said lowermost card.

6. For use with a pack of cards, a card case comprising; a window in the top of the case for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a curved portion presented to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack, said curved portion being contoured to have a depressed portion beneath the plane of the lowermost card in the pack and terminating beneath the forward portion of said lowermost card to direct the leading edge of a card traversing said curved portion to a position beneath said lowermost card.

7. For use with a pack of resilient cards, a card holder comprising: a case for the cards having a window for viewing the cards and through which the top card is accessible for manipulation by an operator, said case having a plurality of raised, interior ribs contoured to present curved portions to the cards adjacent one edge of the pack, said curved ribs being arranged to stress the cards as they are advanced thereover through manipulation by an operator and to provide continued stress for the trailing portion of a card when the leading portion of the card has straightened after leaving the curved portion, whereby the card will snap into position at the bottom of the pack through the release of energy stored therein.

8. In combination, a card holder and a pack of resilient cards comprising; a case for the cards having top, bottom and side walls; an opening in the top wall through which the top card may be observed and manipulated by an operator, a curved portion adjacent one of said side walls around which cards may be moved seriatim from the top to the bottom of the pack; means restraining all but the topmost cards from entering said curved portion; a pack of cards in said case, each card having .a linear length in the direction of card movement which is greater than the linear length of the curved portion, said cards 7 having sufiicient resilience to complete operator initiated movement from top to bottom of the pack by releasing stored kinetic energy when the leading portion of a card being transferred has straightened after leaving the curved portion of the case and the trailing portion remains stressed.

9. The combination of claim 7 in which the cards in the pack bear reversed indicia on their obverse and reverse faces whereby repeating cycles of card transfer produce indicia properly oriented for viewing by the operator through the Window in the case.

10. The combination of claim 7 in Which the curved portion of the case is recessed below the plane of the 8 tom card to guide cards being transferred into position at the bottom of the pack.

11. The combination of claim 7 in which the top of the case is arranged to initially conceal a portion of the top card and such concealed card portion becomes visible to the operator after card transfer is initiated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

bottom card in the pack and terminates beneath said bot- 15 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A PACK OF RESILIENT CARDS, A CARD HOLDER COMPRISING; A CASE FOR THE CARDS HAVING A WINDOW FOR VIEWING THE CARDS AND THROUGH WHICH THE TOP CARD IS ACCESSIBLE FOR MANIPULATION BY AN OPERATOR, SAID CASE HAVING A CURVED PORTION PRESENTED TO THE CARDS ADJACENT ONE EDGE OF THE PACK AND BEGINNING ADJACENT ONE PORTION OF THE WINDOW, SAID CURVED PORTION BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO STRESS THE CARDS AS THEY ARE ADVANCED THEREOVER THROUGH MANIPULATION BY AN OPERATOR AND TO PROVIDE CONTINUED STRESS FOR THE TRAILING PORTION OF A CARD WHEN THE LEADING PORTION OF THE CARD HAS STRAIGHTENED AFTER LEAVING THE CURVED PORTION, WHEREBY THE CARD WILL SNAP INTO POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PACK THROUGH THE RELEASE OF ENERGY STORED THEREIN. 